Truth be told, this is the best-paced show we have seen in recent times, and that is making us so happy. Something to understand about “Truth Be Told” is that it is not just a show about the “real life effect of true crime,” but it is also the black person’s perspective on that, one where they are more than just the victims. Even with the evident racism around their lives, the characters are in control of their narrative. It is a critique of the principle of playing fair on an uneven playing field, of the justice the community has to make for itself, and of the protection it must rely on when the law is constantly failing it on multiple fronts. We would have just been happy with the wonderful pacing, but to watch a narrative sensitively address the need for moral ambiguity is a huge bonus. Let us see how Episode 5 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3 does that.
Spoilers Ahead
The Search For Trini
After the death of Trey in Episode 4 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3, Markus is feeling helpless as he was one of the strongest leads they had to get to Trini, but Poppy assures him that they will find another way. Back with Eva, Poppy updates her on the developments and shows her the tattoo, which the former identifies. She tells Poppy that Andrew Finney used to mark his best girls with that and send them to the houses of rich people to make money. Poppy wonders why they did not find any marks on Drea even though there was a needle and a thread in her room. Both women hypothesize that Drea must have been killed when she resisted the tattooing because she probably understood what it meant. Eva decides to talk to Alicia about Finney while Poppy carries on with the investigation. When Eva talks to Alicia, she tells her everything, including her past, and that she initially approached Alicia to gain intel on Finney. Eva tells Alicia that she likes her now and wants her help in the case against him, to which the latter agrees.
Later, when Poppy visits Aames, she finds that Rochelle, whom they had previously arrested for being in cahoots with Trey, has been cleared of all charges. Seeing the lack of attention that Drea and Trini’s case is getting, Poppy is forced to take matters into her own hands. She finds Rochelle at her usual hangout and tells her that she is keeping her eyes on her and that this isn’t over yet. In the meantime, Eva and Markus are keeping an eye on Andrew Finney. They are completely unimpressed by his attempts to show sympathy for immigrants and talk about cleaning the neighborhood, both of which involve blanketed actions that rough up the lives of black people. Markus is suspicious of Eva, as he cannot understand why a principal would be so interested in her students, something he has not seen with others. Markus’ suspicions are because he doesn’t know Eva’s past, but he is not ungrateful for her help; he is just wary of it.
As for Poppy, she gets a cryptic call on the helpline that she realizes is Aubrey talking in code. He gives her clues to the address they are holding Trini at and tells her to move fast as they might not be there after some time. Poppy figures out the location and calls Aames about it. He is investigating the Emily Mills case, and when he hears from Poppy, he promises to move fast. In the meantime, Poppy also asks her father to keep an eye on the location. Most of the Capstones have been rounded up by the police for flimsy reasons, which has just left Poppy’s father and a few others. She asks them to do nothing except watch the location.
Before this happens, Zarina scours Trini’s social media, looking for any clue, and she contacts Drea’s mom through it. The women connect over their grief for their daughters, and when Drea’s mom tells Rina how helpful Markus has been, the latter finds herself forgiving her husband. As for Aames, right before he received the call from Poppy, he was confronting Victor for lying to him about Peter Reynolds. Victor admits that he had set up some offshore accounts for Peter, but that was the extent of his involvement. Aames seems to believe him and asks him for the information.
Season 3, Episode 5: Ending Explained: Does Aubrey’s Tip Lead To Trini?
When it was about searching Victor’s cabin for clues about Emily Mills, the warrant came instantly, but the same could not be done for Trini, citing a lack of evidence. Knowing that time is short, Poppy and Eva are at their wits’ end when they strike on the idea that they could use Emily Mills’ name. Poppy is apprehensive about this, as it could mean risking her entire career. Additionally, her first editor and mentor told her that “truth is all one has.” We have to agree with Eva here when she says that one needs compassion to accompany the truth because the law clearly did not care about the truth that Trini was in danger. Hence, Poppy decides to take the step and claims in her podcast that Emily Mills is in the house. This creates enough of a disturbance that the police reach the house just as Poppy’s father is about to go in. Poppy asks Eva to stay back in case Andrew Finney is there and he recognizes her or realizes that they are on to him.
At the house, the police rescue scores of girls who walk out looking scared. It is clear what was happening there. Poppy even recognizes one of the girls, Melanie, who has been missing for months. As for Trini, she is still inside the house and has clearly been assaulted. Her culprit escapes the police, and Trini makes her way outside, where her parents find her. Trini has been rescued, but she is taken away by the child protection services as a ‘formality’ to check that everything is alright in her household. This is racism at its worst, as it diminishes the horrific experience of a trafficked victim to add to the stereotypical narrative of neglectful black households. Either way, Trini has no choice but to go with them, and we will see in Episode 6 of “Truth Be Told” Season 3 what happens to her.
What To Expect From Episode 6 of ‘Truth Be Told’ Season 3?
We have a nagging suspicion that the guy who assaulted Trini might be in some form of law enforcement. We don’t believe that Trini is safe, and there is certainly some danger ahead for her. As for Poppy, she is going to face hell for her misinformation. People are not going to care that her actions rescued so many young girls. They are only going to see that the one white girl, Emily Mills, was not there. There is also an increasing political angle being explored with the clash between Andrew Finney and the Capstones, which we will see more of in the coming episodes. We love how “Truth be told” Season 3 is going and hope that it maintains its rhythm and gripping narrative.
See More: ‘Truth Be Told’ Season 3, Episode 6: Recap And Ending, Explained: Does Poppy Find The Corrupt Cop?
